


Best Friends

by Magichemistry



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, F/M, Smut, single dad!hux, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-05-30 03:24:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15087941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magichemistry/pseuds/Magichemistry
Summary: Sometimes a family can be a general, an enginer, and a baby. Armitage Hux is about to find it out.





	1. Who Knew

_Arkanis, 26 years ago_

“You wanna know a secret?” Armitage, a six year old kid, whispers under the heavy wooden table of the kitchen.

“Yes, tell me,” you answer in the same tone. You love when people tell you secrets. It makes you feel important. And if it’s a secret coming from your best friend you take the matter more seriously.

You feel protected under the table, the large white tablecloth hides you from the employees of the Hux house, including your mom.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Armitage warns you and scoops closer to you.

He’s kneeling on the floor, just like you. Face to face, your knees bump against each other and your hands are close. Arkanis is a cold planet but in the middle of this kitchen, where something is cooking most of the time, your hands and cheeks get warm little by little, and your nostrils fill with the delicious smell of the food your mom and the rest of the staff prepare.

“Armie! Tell me!” you exclaim. Armitage is only a kid but he already decided he doesn’t like his name. So what am I supposed to call you? you asked him when he told you. And that’s how you came up with the great idea to shorten his name to Armie. Of course, you can only call him that when you’re alone, away from his father and fake mother.

“I prefer to eat here in the kitchen, rather than upstairs in the dining room,” he finally confesses. He’s a smart kid and knows better than tell this to his father; he doesn’t want him to beat him up or punish him.

“Can I tell you a secret?” You smile and brush his fingers with yours. Armie only nods and waits for you to keep talking. “I prefer that too.”

He grins and slides his hand more to the front, but when he’s about to grab your hand, the tablecloth is lifted by someone.

“Kids!” your mom says as she discovers you. “What are you doing on the cold floor? You’re going to get dirty.”

“We’re telling each other secrets, mom!” you exclaim.

Your mom has been working for the Hux family before you were born. One day she met a man as she was the waitress at an important dinner in the house. The man held an important military rank that she can’t remember very well — after all, she’s only an ignorant employee.  And perhaps, because she’s an ignorant employee, she believed his words of love and fell into the trap. Six years later and she hasn’t had news of that man. But of course, all of this you’ll know many years later.

“Well, go and choose another place to share secrets, not under the table,” she half scolds you, laughing. Your mom pretends she’s strict but you always manage to get away with your antics. As long as you don’t disturb the Hux family.

“Armitage!” a woman screams as she enters the kitchen. The smiles of the three of you are erased as you see the woman approaching the table.

“Move,” she says to your mom.

“Yes, Mrs. Hux.”

Your mom lowers her head in obedience.

Mrs. Hux’s face is adorned with heavy mak up, her eyes look tired as if they can’t support the long fake eyelashes she wears. Her black hair is almost color blue and it has so much hairspray that if someone wanted to run their fingers through it, it’d be impossible.

“What have I told you about coming here with the servants?” She grabs Armie’s thin arm and drags him. “You’re not one of them anymore.”

Her words are loaded with disgust and hate. Disgust because she can’t stand that the son of Brendol Hux is under the kitchen table as if he was part of the help. And hate for the kid, because he’s a reminder that she can’t give Brendol a son of her own. That’s why you and Armie call her “fake mom.”

Armie knows is better not to protest or complain about the pain on his arm. He looks at you one more time, embarrassed about his fake mom’s behavior and you lightly nod, telling him you understand.

Before they leave the kitchen, Mrs. Hux stops and tells your mom:

“If you see him again here, send him immediately back to me.”

Poor Armie, you think. You’re thankful that you have your mom and she’s nothing alike like Mrs. Hux. Armitage has never known what it feels a simple warm embrace from his real mother. She disappeared when he was born and she’s a forbidden topic in this house.

“Poor Armie,” you say out loud this time and your mom pretends she didn’t hear you. There’s nothing you or her can do.

* * *

_Arkanis, sixteen years ago_

“Don’t move.” Armitage gets up from the bed and runs to the bathroom for a towel. He puts it under the faucet for a second and then he squeezes it, to remove excess water.

He returns to your side and sits on the bed, very gently he opens your legs and cleans all traces of blood in your thighs.

“Are you alright?” he asks you.

“A little sore but I’ll survive,” you say.

You and he are sixteen years old. Despite Martelle’s — Armitage’s stepmother — constant complaints about how he shouldn’t hang out with people like you, you never stopped being friends. You’re the last piece of innocence and love in Armitage’s heart.

Tomorrow, he’ll be gone to the military academy and he’ll return turned into a man. That’s why you decided that your first time should be with him. And it was his first time too, that made you feel safer. Two clumsy teenagers discovering lwhat love is and how it works.

“I don’t wanna go tomorrow,” he says and lays next to you. You lean your head on his chest and one arm rests on your back.

“Me neither,” you sigh deeply. “I wanna stay like this forever”.

“That would be great, wouldn’t be?” he chuckles.

You lift your head to look at him and ask:

“Do you promise to remember me? No matter how many pretty girls you meet.”

“I promise it to you, and you know what else?” He puts a trail of hair behind your ear. “I promise I’ll come back for you and take you to a warm planet where we can live and do what we did tonight every day.”

You feel your cheeks turning hot but can’t help to smile at his words. If only you knew that life doesn’t care about the promises two lovers make to each other.

“I’m gonna miss you.” You rest your head back in his chest, satisfied with his answer.

“Just a few years,” he puts a kiss on the top of your head. “We need to survive just a few years.”

* * *

_Arkanis, nowadays_

The immense Hux mansion stands proudly among icebergs and swirls of wind. Thanks to the extreme weather of Arkanis it has remained as new despite the passage of time. Hux walks with a determined step towards the entrance; it’s been years since he set foot in Arkanis. He didn’t even do it when Brendol Hux, his father, died. But now that Martelle is also dead, he can’t put off returning home anymore. Someone has to take care of the mansion and its staff.

Hux returns to his place of origin as the General of First Order, his thick coat makes a woosh sound with every step he takes. This time, he hasn’t brought a squadron of stormtroopers to cover his back. His blaster is enough. Also, he doesn’t plan to extend his visit to more than one day.

As he arrives at the enormous door of the mansion, Hux stops and takes his holopad out from a pocket of his coat. He checks the time and nods satisfied. He can be back to work in less than 24 hours.

“Let’s get this over with,” he mumbles to himself and pushes the heavy door with his gloved hand.

You glide through the sombercorridors of this mansion without making noise. Exactly as when you were a girl.

Every once in a while you turn back, sure that someone or something is following you. You would like to blame the goosebumps prickling on your skin on the cold and your lack of warmer clothes. But it’s this place — these sad walls that play with your fear and cause you to accelerate the pace.

You exhale a sigh of relief when you arrive at this place full of memories: the kitchen. You don’t turn on the light to not disturb anyone; besides, you know every corner of this place. You could walk with your eyes closed and not run into any piece of furniture.

Your bare feet don’t make noise when you go to the fridge and you take out a jug of milk. Your plan is to warm up a little and mix it with honey, maybe that way you can get to sleep.

Just when you turn to go to the table, a voice breaks the silence:

“Good evening.”

“Ah!” you exclaim frightened and you finch letting the jug fall to the floor, breaking into pieces.

“Sorry, sorry,” the owner of the voice rises from his chair and the dim light of the moon illuminates his face.

“Armitage?” You recognize your former best friend in the face of this adult man. His eyes are artic blue, as if the weather of Arkanis was locked in there. There are some wrinkles around them and he has bags under them, a sign that he doesn’t get too much sleep. He’s clean shaven and because of the dim light, you can’t distinguish some red facial hair growing.

“(Y/N)? Is that you?” he asks unsure. It’s been more than fifteen years since the last time he saw you. But he believes he recognizes his childhood friend and first love in the woman in front of him.

“Yes.” You’re about to take a step to to the front but he stops you, putting his hand in your forearm.

“Careful, you can get cut with the pieces of glass.” He looks down to see you’re barefoot and suddenly he realizes you’re only wearing a thin nightgown.

“Right, thank you.” You walk away from the shattered jug and go to the large wood table.

An awkward silence arises between you. Normally, when you meet up with an old friend, you hug him and jump for joy. But now that Armitage is General of First Order, you’re not even sure what to call him.

“Should I call you General or something?” you genuinely ask and sit down on a chair.

“Hux is fine.” He sits next to you and rests his hands on the table.

“You still don’t like your name, uh?” You smile at the memories with him.

He feels uncomfortable that there’s someone on the galaxy that knows too many things about him, so he ignores the question and asks you instead:

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to visit my mom,” you answer.

“She still works here?”

“Yes,” you laugh. “She gets mad if I tell her she’s too old and she should retire”.

“I can imagine it.” A hint of a smile threats to form in his lips. “And where you work?”

“I’m an engineer, didn’t you hear? I design spaceships,” you exclaim, proud of yourself.

Hux is surprised to hear that, he knows that this type of careers costs many credits and that your mom, no matter how much she saved, couldn’t have paid for your studies.

“But how?” he frowns.

“It’s a long story.”

“Then make it short.”

“Alright,” you sigh at his rude manners. “A few years ago I met my dad. Apparently, he was feeling remorse for the way he treated my mom and all that bullshit you feel when you’re about to die. He paid for my studies and then die in peace with himself.”

“Did you feel bad about it?”

“That he died? Not really,” you admit. “I never felt he was my dad.”

“You felt that too…” he says. He refers that he didn’t feel a thing when his father passed away.

You’re about to blurt out a “sorry” but then you remember who you are talking to. Who would miss Brendol Hux or Martelle? You saw the abuse Hux been through, thanks to them.

So you better opt to put your hand on top of his. You expected to find it rough, even callous. But it’s soft, like that time when you hide under this same table and share secrets.

“(Y/N)…” Hux gulps down and calls you.

“Yes?”

“I think we survived,” he says and it takes you a moment to understand what he’s talking about. Your last night together.

“Do you really think so?”

“We did, but not the way we thought.” In a swift motion, he catches your hand in his. The brusque movement makes you flinch a little. His grip is tight and firm.

“Who knew?” you say before you lean to him. Your heart skips a beat. Are you doing this because you miss him or because you want to make sure you don’t feel anything for him anymore?

His mouth is half-open, like inviting you to kiss him. You can feel he’s moving too, getting closer to you. Will this kiss be as friends or as lovers?

You need to find it out so you put your lips against his. Both of your breaths are shaking and your eyes close.

He holds your face with a hand on your jaw, it’s an innocent kiss, you don’t even dare to move.

When you finally pull apart, you find his icy blue eyes burning in you.

“Please,” he rasps. “Stay the night.”


	2. Friend

“Please,” he rasps. “Stay the night.”

“Okay,” you say on a whisper. Because at this point he doesn’t even need to ask you for it. The Hux mansion stirred feelings inside of you and even though you didn’t plan it, you encountered with the boy you fell in love with. The boy who left the next morning and made you cry for weeks.

The next kiss you give him has no innocence on it, unlike the previous one. Between fast breaths, you devour each other’s mouth and without noticing it, you have one hand shoved in his hair, messing with it.

“I missed you,” you admit out loud. “You left me and I missed you.”

“I’m sorry, pretty girl.” Hux thinks if he says your name out loud he won’t be able to keep going. The realization that life got between you two and nothing will be again the same.

“Don’t call me like that.” You get mad at the possibility that he calls all his flings like that so he doesn’t have to remember their names.

“(Y/N), (Y/N),” he says your name like a prayer. He gets up from his chair and pulls you with him. Both chairs fall to the floor but you don’t care.

“I’m not a little girl anymore, you don’t have to treat me like one.”

You jump on his arms and he puts you on top of the table. You bite his lip and he groans when you pull it.

“I have no intention to do it,” he tells you and pulls the straps of your nightgown down, leaving your chest exposed.

“You’re not the only one who grew up.” He smirks and doesn’t tear his gaze off your tits.

“Shut up,” you give his chest a light hit and spread your legs. “Do I look better now?”

Hux takes a moment to answer, his gaze travels from your chest to your eyes. Then, he speaks:

“You’re different, you changed… but you’re as beautiful as I remember you”.

“You’ve really grown up, friend.”

“Come here,” he says and lavishes your neck with licks and bites. You close your eyes and enjoy the sensation of his teeth breaking your tender skin.

“That’s good, fuck.”

You tug his hair and throw your head back, offering him more skin.

“Since when you turn so foul-mouthed?” he groans and pushes you by your shoulders so your back lays on the table.

He nuzzles the space between your breasts and you have to bite your tongue so you don’t moan. But when the tip of his tongue draws a circle on your nipple, you lose it.

“Ah!” you moan and arch your back.

He takes his time making sure to leave both of your tits wet and shiny with his spit. And by now, you feel your underwear sticky.

He sits back on a chair, his head in front of your legs. He pushes the edge of your nightgown up and sees a wet spot in the center of your panties.

“Already wet?” he puts his thumb on the wet spot. “Some things never change.”

“Uh,” you huff annoyed and lift your head. “You’re so cocky but you do nothing.”

Hux takes the insult too personal and decides to show you that if he’s cocky is because he can be.

“Sit back and enjoy,” he gives your pussy a slap and you’re about to protest but he talks again, “Relax and enjoy.”

You let your head fall back on the table and you can feel his hot breath near your pussy. You clench around nothing but you decide not to show him you’re needy for him.

“You got the prettiest pussy in the whole damn galaxy.”

You wonder if he has been with a lot of women to say that but the moment he pokes out his tongue and touches your clit is the moment that any logic thought abandons your mind.

He bathes your whole cunt in drool, slurping your cum and his nose bumping deliciously against your clit. You can feel it pulsing in pleasure and both of your hands are in his head, pushing him closer to you.

“Mmm, that’s good, so good,” you babble and grind your pelvis against him, chasing the peak of your pleasure.

“Not too fast,” he pulls his mouth away. “You didn’t think it would be so easy, right?”

You see him wipe your cum off his mouth and gives you a cocky smile. It seems it’s the only kind of smile he has.

“Idiot,” you say and he chuckles. You used to call him like that all the time when you pretended you were mad at him. “Are we going to fuck, yes or no?”

“You feel you’re so big, that you’re a woman and you can handle me,” he drags you across the table. “Well, handle this.”

He sits you on his cock and you cry out in pain at the sudden invasion.

“Fuck, Hux, you could have warned me.” You breath fast and try to focus on the pleasure and not in the burning sensation.

“You feel like the first time,” he huffs. “You feel as if you were still a virgin.”

“Mmmm, do I?” You grind your hips and his dick twitches inside of you.

You begin to ride him, your tits bouncing and your pussy getting tighter around him.

He traps one nipple between his pink lips and sucks it. You put your hands on his shoulders and throw your head back.

“Fuck,” he pulls his shirt up to see better how your pussy stretches around his cock. “You’re so tight, so good.”

He puts his thumb on your clit and rubs it, slightly scratching it with his nail.

“Ah, ah,” you arch your back and come in fast spams around him. “Hux! Ah!”

Hux grabs the back of your neck and smashes his lips against yours, he closes his eyes and huffs as he comes deep inside your womb.

You try to steady your breath when the climax is over. You lean your forehead in his shoulder and inhale deeply over and over.

You don’t know why but out of nowhere you feel you’re in the wrong place with the wrong person. You still have his cock inside of you but you don’t think you will be able to look at him in the eyes.

You get up from his lap and avoid his gaze, pretending you’re looking for your underwear. Funny how when you’re about to fuck, the other person helps you to get undressed and once you’re fucked, you have to put your clothes back on by yourself.

This isn’t like your first time, where the night was full with promises of love and plans together.

“How long will you stay?” he asks you as he watches you put the straps of your nightgown back to their place.

“About three days or so, it depends on my mom.” You turn to see the milk spilled on the floor and you ask yourself if he should have worn a condom.

“I’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

And just like that, it starts all over again, except this time you’re not a fool teenager in love. You tell yourself it’s better if you and he spend another sixteen years without seeing each other.

You stay still as you think all of this. Your feet refuse to move in his direction to at least give him a goodbye hug.

“Good night, friend.” It’s the only thing you can think of to say. You turn around and refuse to look back. Not again, when it costed you part of your heart to get over him.

“Good night…” Hux says but you already left. A part of him understands it, you didn’t want to give him the chance to leave again so you did it before.

He wonders if another sixteen years shall pass before he sees his best friend again. His only friend.


	3. History repeats itself

_8 months later_

“Your resume is impressive,” the Human Resources officer says as she reads your resume in her holopad. “The First Order will benefit a lot from your work”.

“Thanks,” you say. “I can be ready to work right now”.

Two weeks ago you entered your application for employment to fill the vacancy of aerospace engineer. The work is about designing better and more powerful ships for the First Order. What convinced you were the pay and the benefits.

“I like that,” the officer smiles with her perfect teeth. “I just sent the contract to your holopad but let’s review the benefits and obligations of your new job.”

“Okay.” You nod and wait for her to start talking.

The officer tells you what your work is about, emphasizing that from this moment you owe allegiance to the First Order.

“You’re going to have your own office. And medical attention, of course,” she says and her eyes rest briefly on your belly. “Any other questions?”

“No, I think I understood everything”

“Perfect, in your holopad, you will also find the directions of your new quarters and your work schedule. Welcome aboard, (Y/N).”

The officer gets up from her chair and you do the same, although with a little more effort.

* * *

You leave the Human Resources office and turn on your holopad to see which direction take to reach your quarters.

You leave the contract to read before going to sleep and you quickly see that your time of entry is at 0800 hours.

You walk so focused with your eyes fixed on the screen that you don’t realize that a person you know, approaches you.

“(Y/N),” Hux says. It’s not a greeting, it’s to make sure you’re real and he’s not confusing you with someone else.

Hux’s voice makes you raise your head immediately. Of all the odds, of all the ships of the First Order, of all the levels of this particular ship, he had to be here and run into you.

“Hux… uh, hi,” you say feeling awkward.

“What-what…” his throat rasps. “What’s the meaning of this?” He pulls the bottom part of his uniform down, not because it’s wrinkled but because he’s nervous.

“What do you mean?”

You notice that his eyes are fixed on your belly, just as the Human Resources officer did. Except his eyes are colder and more serious.

Something inside Hux ignites and causes his blood to boil with rage. He didn’t expect to see you like this and in this state, and if you’re here it must be because you want something from him.

“Come here,” he squeezes your arm and drags you across the hallway. “I can’t believe it”.

“Stop! Hux!” You try to get rid of him but your huge belly makes it difficult.

“You think this a game?” He stops and slams his palm against the wall. “You think you can come here to do this pathetic show?”

“What are you talking about, Armitage?”

“You’re pregnant!” He slams his hand on the wall again. “You’re fucking pregnant!”

“Yeah, so?” you scoff.

“Is it mine?”

“Yes.”

“What do you want?”

“From you?” The contempt is evident in your voice. “Nothing.”

“You want to blackmail me?” Hux feels his jaw clenching and getting stuck. Few times in his life he has become enraged as much as he is now.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” you laugh in his face. “I don’t give a single fuck about you. Yes, you’re the father of this baby but I don’t want anything from you. That’s why I didn’t contact you.”

“Then what are you doing here?” He grinds his teeth and looks around to see if you’re still alone. This baby can destroy his career, the scandal, the gossip. Everything he has worked for can go to shit.

“The First Order hired me as their engineer. If you don’t believe me, you can check the records. But it’s not my problem and I don’t care.” You end the fight and take a step back, away from him.

But before you can leave, Hux takes you by the arm again and says:

“You can’t do this to me.”

Behind all his frustrated rage, you can detect a hint of fear.

“I’m not doing anything, Armitage,” you say with a blank expression on your face. “History repeats itself, don’t you think? My dad didn’t take care of me, his own daughter. Your father didn’t recognize you until years later and forced you to be part of a broken family.”

The grip on your arm softens, so you continue:

“This is what we are used to, this is what we do. So don’t worry, I’ll take care of this baby alone, just like my mom did with me.”  

You turn around and leave Hux alone, with your words of resentment echoing in his mind.

* * *

A Corellian whiskey bottle crashes against the wall and its little pieces join to the pieces of a broken glass on the floor.

Then, Hux grabs the crystal table and flips it over, with a roar of pure rage coming out of his throat.

He can’t stop thinking about your words, the way you compared him with his father, the man who even dead, he stills hate the most.

“Fuck!” he curses and falls into the sofa. Now he understands why Ren takes so much pleasure into destroying control panels with his lightsaber.

There’s something satisfying and liberating in using your body to let the rage out, the sound of the glass breaking soothed his mind.

He pushes a trail of hair out of his face and tries to regain his breath. Everything you told him was true. You were hired by the First Order to work and live in this ship, the same one he’s currently living in.

“A fucking baby.” He shakes his head in disbelief. The night you two had sex, did you do it on purpose? He’s still convinced you want credits from him, because who wouldn’t want to have a baby of General Hux, the most important man of the most important organization in the galaxy?

The screen of his holopad illuminates and he swears if it’s a message from Mitaka, bothering him with a stupid issue, he’ll destroy his skull with a shot from his blaster.

But Mitaka’s head is safe, at least for now, because the message is from you. He grabs the holopad and projects the message on the air:

_[New Message]_

_[To General Hux]_

_[From (Y/N)(L/N)]_

_Hux,_

_The reason for this message is to clarify a few things that were impossible to talk earlier when we encountered in the hallway._

_I’m telling the truth that I didn’t contact you because I don’t want or expect anything from you. I understand you’re a busy person, in charge of a big organization and you have no time to pretend to form a family._

_I was looking for a better job so I can give my son a better life and it turns out the First Order was hiring. I applied and I got the job. It never crossed through my mind that we’d be in the same ship._

_If you’re afraid about what people would say that you have a son, do not worry. I don’t intend to tell anyone you’re the father._

_Regarding the issue that we will be working together, or at least, near each other, be sure that I’ll act professionally and I won’t bother you with my personal life._

_I want to live my life in peace, do my job and raise my child. I hope you let me do it._

_That’ll be all. Have a good night._

Hux leans back on the sofa and re-read the message. He sets his lips into a hard thin line. He’s not sure why he feels so agitated. You’re telling you won’t cause him any problem. That’s what he wanted right?

All his life he imagined if he was going to have a child, it’d be after he got married to a princess from an allied planet. Not like this. So rushed, so unplanned.

He deletes the message and gets up from the sofa to go to the bedroom. You or your son, because he can’t see him as his, won’t cause any trouble. With that thought he goes to sleep, promising himself he won’t interfere in your life. You and he have nothing going on.


	4. Elecc

_2 months later_

Just like you asked him, Hux hasn’t interfered with your life. And he didn’t even have to avoid you. On a ship so big you and he work in different levels and since that day he hasn’t seen you.

He doesn’t know if you already had your baby, no gossip from the officers and employees has reached to his ears.

He’ll never admit it, not even to himself, but every night, when his eyes are closed and he tries to sleep, his mind travels to you: How do you look as a new mom? How does the baby look? Does he have red hair like him?

In moments of weakness, he repeats himself what you wrote on the message. The baby is yours, not his. It stops him from writing you a message or trying to contact you.

But two months without seeing each other has been too much and the day where he has to see you have arrived.

He needs to see the building plans for a new base and since it’s a highly important project, you’re the one who has the only copy of the building plans. After all, it’s your design and your ideas.

He takes a deep breath before entering your office, the door slides open and he puts a foot inside.

“(Y/N), good morning,” he tries to sound professional. “I came here for the building plans for the new base”.

He sees you’re sitting on your chair, with your back at him.

“Oh, yes,” you chair turns around and Hux sees you have a baby with red hair between your arms. The baby is sucking one of your breasts and he wiggles his legs as he feeds. “They’re there on the table”. You point with your head the building plans but Hux’s knees are shaking.  He’s incapable of moving.

“Is everything alright?” you ask him.

Hux finally reacts and walks to grab the building plans. He dedicates a moment to observe your son closer. There’s no doubt he’s the father. They share the exact same hair color. And the same pale skin. He can’t distinguish his eyes because they’re half-closed.

“Is there anything else you need?” you ask him when he stays there and doesn’t leave. You rock your baby in your arms and smile at how gorgeous he looks.

“C-can I stay?” he hears himself asking. “Just a little, to see how he eats.”

“Yeah, sure,” you say still smiling. Motherhood has made you so happy and so busy that you don’t have time to hold any grudge against him.

Hux sits on a chair on the opposite side of the desk and watches in awe how the baby feeds from you. He’s so tiny, he must be one month old.

“Does it hurt?” he asks.

“Breastfeeding? No, at the beginning it felt weird but now it’s all right.”

The baby grunts and tries to put his small hand on your chest, as if you were going to run away without him and he wants to stop you.

Hux gulps down and dares to ask:

“What’s his name?”

“Elecc,” you say.

 _Elecc Hux_  he thinks. That red-haired baby is the perfect combination of him and you. He looks around and notices a lot of baby stuff scattered around your office. There’s diaper bag resting on the floor, a blanket thrown over a chair and a black bassinet near your desk.

“There you go,” you say and Hux looks back at you. You have Elecc against your chest and you’re giving him little pats on his back.

“Oh, someone’s full,” you exclaim when he burps. Hux dumbly laughs at the strange noise.

“Do you wanna hold him?” you offer him. Poor Hux look so out of place but at the same time, you see a bright hint of hope in his eyes.

“I don’t know how to do it, I don’t wanna hurt him.” He tries to excuse himself because Elecc looks so fragile and small, he’s afraid he will cause him pain.

“I’ll help you,” you stand up and walk with Elecc in your arms to Hux’s side. “Just hold his head with one arm and his body with the other one”.

“Wait,” he stops you. “Let me take off my gloves”. It’s the first time he will touch his son and he doesn’t wanna do it with the cold material of leather.

“Ready?”

“I think so,” he stutters.

Very carefully, you put Elecc on Hux’s arms. When you think he’s secure you let him go and step back.

“Am I doing it right?”

“Yes, he’s fine, don’t worry,” you laugh at how scared Hux looks, it’s like you travelled back in time and he’s that scared child again that used to hide under the table. “Try to rock him so he falls asleep.”

“Like this?” Hux moves his arms in a gentle way and prays to the Force Elecc doesn’t cry for his mom.

“You’re doing great,” you encourage him.

You, Hux and Elecc stay in silence for almost twenty minutes. Hux’s neck and back hurt from being so stiff but he doesn’t want to upset the baby. Since about five minutes ago, he’s asleep, silently breathing.

“Put him in the bassinet,” you whisper. You don’t want to wake him up.

Hux gets up from the chair and with slow steps, he walks to the bassinet and puts Elecc on it. It seems he didn’t notice the change and continues sleeping.

“Thank you,” you say on a low tone.

“Uh?” Hux doesn’t understand your words at first. “Oh, you’re welcome”.

“Now back to work.” You walk back to your desk and start to organize some files.

Hux wants to tell you that maybe he should stay and watch Elecc, just to make sure he’s fine and nothing disturbs his sleep. But even he, who knows nothing about babies, knows it’s a pretty stupid excuse.

He grabs the building plans and on the frame door, he turns over and asks you:

“Why did you chose that name?”

You blink two times before a smile breaks on your lips and then say:

“It means helper and defender of mankind.”

 _Just like his father,_  he thinks but doesn’t dare to say it out loud. He has no right to do it.

“It’s a good name,” he says before leaving.

* * *

You hear two fast knocks at your door and go to see who’s on the other side. You type the number code and the door opens. On the frame door, you find a very timid Hux carrying a gift box.

“Hux…,” you say. “What are you doing here?”

“Ehm,” he rasps his dry throat. It feels like words want to escape from him and leave him mute. “I have a little gift for Elecc.” He lifts the gift box to show it to you. The box is wrapped in matte black paper and has a red shiny ribbon on top of it.

“Thank you,” you say, not very sure what’s going on. “Please, come in. I was about to give him a bath.”

He follows you and enters your quarters, you go directly to your bedroom where Elecc is lying in the bed, surrounded by four pillows, so he doesn’t roll over and fall.

“Elecc, you got a gift!” you exclaim happily and Elecc smiles at the tone of your voice. “You can sit,” you tell Hux and he obeys you. He sits on the edge of the bed and grins when he sees Elecc.

“Well, let’s open it, shall we?” you say and Hux gives you the gift box. You sit next to him and tear the wrapping paper. Inside the box, there’s a black onesie with the First Order emblem in the center.

“Oh, my,” you giggle. “Where did you get this?”

“Apparently there’s a whole department that sells products like this,” he grabs an edge of the onesie between his fingers. “Can you believe it?”

“Well, thank you. I’ll put it on him when I come back from my trip.”

“What trip?”

“I have to leave tomorrow to see how the preparations of the new base are going. I have to make sure they’re building it correctly.”

“And you’re taking Elecc?” Hux worries about a baby in the middle of a construction.

“No, of course not. A nanny droid will take care of him”

“Are you serious?” Hux raises his voice. It must be a joke, leaving a baby under the care of a droid.

“Yeah, it’s only one day, he might cry a little but he’ll be fine.” You don’t understand why Hux worries out of the sudden.

“I’ll take care of him,” he decides.

“What?!” You can’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.

“I’m his father, I’ll take care of him,” he assures.

“Oh, now you’re his father?” You get up to put some distance between you and him. Otherwise, you might slap him. “And besides, you know nothing about babies!”

“I put him to sleep today, didn’t I?!” He gets up too and confronts you. “I’m capable of taking care of my own son.”

Words get stuck in your mouth because you didn’t expect a change so quickly from Hux.

“(Y/N), please, let me do it,” he says in a calmer tone. “The nanny droid can help but I think we both be more at peace if I’m with him.”

You want to argue against that but you can’t deny he’s right. Elecc will feel more comfortable with the warmth of a human being and not the cold metallic arms of a droid.

“Alright, Armitage,” you accept his offer. “But you need to learn a lot about babies. Your lesson starts now.”

“I’m willing to learn.” He smirks at his own victory.


	5. You have your mom’s eyes

“Elecc, take your damn bottle!” Hux exclaims as his son fights between his arms and pushes away the baby bottle.

“Fuck, Elecc!” Hux yells. Yesterday, he wasn’t acting like this. He was a sweet sleepy baby.

“I don’t think miss (Y/N) would like you to use that kind of language in front of the infant,” the nanny droid says in its robotic voice.

“You think so?” Hux pants and gives it a look of disdain. His hair is all tousled and his uniform has several wrinkles.

Hux took the day off to put all his attention to his son but it’s obvious that Elecc doesn’t want anything with him or the nanny droid, probably he wants your arms and your warmth, and he makes it very clear as his cry gets higher.  

Between his screams and cries, Hux hears a ping coming from his holopad. He puts a very angry Elecc on his cradle and gets the device to open the message. It’s from you.

_[You: Is everything alright? How’s Elecc?]_

_[General Hux: Your kid hates me]_

_[You: Mmm, yesterday he was your son and now he’s my kid? Interesting…]_

_[General Hux: You know what I meant. He doesn’t want the milk you left for him, he doesn’t want anything]_

Hux isn’t keen to ask for anyone’s help but he’s in a desperate situation. What he learned yesterday from you it’s useless.

_[You: Have you tried talking to him? I do that when I’m breastfeeding him]_

_[General Hux: And what am I supposed to talk about?]_

_[You: He’s a baby, Armitage. You can talk to him about anything]_

_[General Hux: Alright… I guess I could try it]_

_[You: Good luck and don’t make my baby cry any more!]_

Hux puts his holopad in the bed and goes to the cradle. Elecc is still crying, his eyes are closed and his face looks as red as his hair.

“Alright, Elecc. Let’s try it one more time.” Hux lifts the baby but he kicks his little legs. Hux wonders if Elecc doesn’t hate him for the way he treated you before. But he shakes the ridiculous thought off his head and sits on the bed.

“You know, I think your mom and I met when we’re babies like you,” he starts saying and puts the baby bottle on Elecc’s pouty mouth. “We’re the same age but your mom was always a little bit smarter than me.”

Hux chuckles at his few happy memories, you always appear on them. Next thing he knows, Elecc is sucking the baby bottle and looking at him with big curious eyes.

“You got my hair but I think you have your mom’s eyes,” Hux says and he smiles at the realization that from now on he’ll find you and himself on Elecc.

The baby grunts and puts his tiny fingers on top of Hux’s hand, the one that’s holding the bottle. As if he was telling him to continue. And Hux does it:

“Your mom is my best friend, I think that’s more than a lot of kids can say about their parents. You’ll be all right.”

“Do you need help, sir?” the nanny droid interrupts Hux’s conversation.

“No, I think I got this.” The baby bottle is already empty.

“You need to make him burp,” the droid reminds him.

“I got this,” he says again, annoyed. He puts Elecc against his shoulder and pats his back, just like you did yesterday.

When he burps, the droid says:

“You can now put him on the cradle.”

“I think I’m gonna hold him a little longer.” Hux cradles his son and finds himself in his eyes. It’s weird, considering they’re like yours. But there’s a certain familiarity on them, a feeling Hux never knew, not even as a kid, and he’s discovering it until now.

* * *

At the end of the cycle, Elecc is sleeping peacefully in his cradle. He already got his bath and dinner, and the mobile on top of his cradle plays a lullaby and spins in slow circles.

“Take care of Elecc, (Y/N) has arrived and I’m going to receive her at the hangar,” Hux orders to the nanny droid. A few minutes ago, he got the notification in his holopad that your ship was landing.

“Of course, sir. Do not worry,” the droid answers.

Hux has to stop himself from running. He’s excited to tell you he was capable to take care of Elecc, that he managed to put him to sleep and that you should a little more faith in him.

He arrives at the hangar at the same time the entrance of the ship opens. A group of stormtroopers is the first one to walk down the ramp. Then, an officer and a lieutenant. Hux clenches his hand and he feels the smooth leather of his glove on his fingers. At any moment, he’ll see you walking down.

And he does, except you’re not walking. You’re lying on a stretcher, your head and neck immobilized. Two stormtroopers carry you down to the floor.

“What happened?” Hux runs to your side and notices you’re unconscious. He doesn’t know if he should touch you or try to wake you up.

The lieutenant who accompanied you speaks:

“There was an accident, General. Our space pod crashed down and Ms. (L/N) hit her head”.

“Wasn’t she wearing a helmet? Where are your safety measures?!” He doesn’t care if his voice raises and everyone on the hangar turn their heads at him.

“She was,” the lieutenant says with a shaky voice. It’s never good to be the one who gives bad news to the General. “But it fell off. We need to take care of her to the medical bay.”

Hux decides it’s more useful to hurry the stormtroopers than to keep scolding the lieutenant. He stays at your side and doesn’t listen to the doctor, who tells him he needs space to work.

“Ms. (Y/N) suffered a big hemorrhage,” the doctor explains to Hux when you’re already put in a room at the medical bay.

“How bad is it?” Hux goes straight to the point. Even though you’re surrounded by machines, he’s hopeful about your diagnosis.

“A blood vessel burst in her brain, causing bleeding within the surrounding tissue. Her brain is swollen and there is intracranial pressure.”

“I said how bad is it?” He doesn’t care about complicated medical explanations. He just wants to know if you’re going to be okay.

“We’re trying to reduce the swell but General…” the doctor pauses a second. “Her condition is severe, we don’t know how her brain will react”.

Hux’s lip twitches but he maintains his composure. Then, he asks:

“What else does she need? What else you can do for her?”

“She’s in a coma. We can only wait for her to wake up by her own.” The doctor’s answer is upsetting. If Hux hates something, it’s to sit down and wait for things to happen.  

“Very well,” Hux’s voice is serious and hard. As usual. “Keep me informed about any changes,”

And with that last words, he turns around and returns to your quarters, where a sleeping baby is waiting for his mom to return.


	6. A General and a Baby

Between Elecc waking up every two hours and the worry for you, Hux had little sleep. He’s lucky if he got two or three hours of it. He decided to stay on your quarters because all of Elecc’s stuff was here, but he didn’t imagine how hard would it be to stay on your bed and smell your fragrance on the pillows.

The alarm sound tells him it’s time to go to work. It’s time to put the facade of the harsh strict General and face the galaxy.

Thankfully, Elecc stays asleep and he gets the chance to take a shower. He takes a look at himself in the mirror and sees that the bags under his eyes are more prominent and his eyes are full of little red veins.

“Will I be in charge of Elecc today, sir?” the nanny droid asks as it sees Hux putting on his uniform.

He knows he already took a day off, it’s impossible to do it again. But at the same time, he doesn’t want to leave his son alone under the care of a droid. After what happened to his mom, he doesn’t deserve it.

He has a big conflict running through his mind, a part of him wants to ignore Elecc and another part of him wants to protect him. Then, he remembers your words: “This is what we are used to, this is what we do.”

“No, it’s not,” he already made up his mind. “It doesn’t have to be like that.”

* * *

Today, General Hux decided to leave the coat hanging on his closet. When you’re carrying a lot of things, including a baby, it’s better to not wear many layers of clothes.

Thank the Force you bought a decent diaper bag in black. He hates those cheesy colors like baby blue. And thank the Force he paid attention when you explained to him how to use this thing called Moby wrap, a kind of light fabric you wrap around the baby and yourself, leaving Hux’s hands free.

As he walks through the corridors of the ship, he can sense that people are staring at him, but his face is blank and tells nothing.

“Ren,” he says when he arrives at the main bridge and finds Kylo Ren, staring at the dark galaxy through the crystal.

Kylo turns his head to the left and sees Hux carrying a baby. “General,” he greets him back. “That’s a baby.”  He’s not asking him, he’s just stating the obvious.

“Yes, you’re right.” Hux’ face remains blank.

“Your baby, I assume.”

“Yes, you’re right.” Hux is ready to fight any snarky comment from Ren.

Kylo’s eyes travel from the General’s face to the baby to the diaper bag. Then he nods, more to himself than to Hux and walks away.

“That was easier than I thought,” he tells Elecc. Since yesterday, he’s been trying to talk to him more. He can’t understand him but he hopes that somehow a bond between them can form and that way Elecc won’t miss you so much.

The image of General Hux carrying a ginger baby against chest while he shouts orders to his officers becomes a common thing after a couple of weeks. Sometimes he even interrupts a meeting to change Elecc’s diaper right there on the table, in front of the other ones. No one dares to complain at the smell.

Then, after a couple of months, Hux doesn’t need the nanny droid anymore. He’s neat and organized regarding Elecc’s stuff. Sterilized baby bottles, diapers ready, baby wipes at hand, clean clothes, everything is always perfect and in its place. A routine settles between father and son, both of them already used to each other presence. But what they can’t get used to is your absence. Or at least Hux feels like that.

“He’s starting to crawl,” Hux tells you even though he won’t receive an answer. 

At the end of each cycle, he comes to the medical bay with Elecc in his arms and visits you. Your son is already six months old, he can sit by himself and he started eating solid food just a few days ago.

“You have to see him, he looks so funny,” he chuckles. Elecc is sitting in the bed at your side and Hux is near you on a chair.

“I try not to give him aurilian fruit too much. He tends to get a sugar rush”

Elec babbles something and grabs a piece of your hair in his tiny fist. Hux exhales tiredly and leans back on the chair.

It’s exhausting to come each cycle and see your condition is the same. You’re not dead but you’re not alive. You’re just a body that is constantly sleeping.

“I don’t know what else to do, (Y/N),” Hux says. “Not about Elecc. He’s my son and I’ll never abandon him. I’m talking about you”.

Elecc bouncesand laughs at his dad. Hux smiles back at him but the grin fades away.

“The doctor spoke to me about your condition. That maybe it’d be better to let you rest.” At this part, his voice breaks and a single tear falls down his cheek. He’s not a big believer in the Force but he can’t help to wonder that maybe, just maybe, you got the job just so he could meet his son and take care of him.

“I can’t do this anymore,” he finally breaks down in tears. Tears he has been keeping inside of him since he was a child. “Not without you, best friend.”

He grabs your hand and leans his head near your lap. Elecc taps his head, wanting to play.

* * *

_Six months later_

Hux lets his son walk alone but stays close in case he falls. Elecc is already one year old and he’s starting to give his first steps. In his little hand, he’s carrying a single pink flower. His dad put him a pair of jeans, a black sweatshirt, and red sneakers.

“Mommy is going to like the flower,” Hux tells him with a hint of grief on his tone.

“Dada,” Elecc babbles and keeps walking.

Hux wonders if it’s alright what he’s doing, wanting his son to love someone who is absent. An empty person, unknown for Elecc.

* * *

The first thing you notice, even before opening your eyes, is the cold on your body. You don’t know where you are and as you try to remember what happened, your head hurts. And it doesn’t hurt like a simple headache or a migraine, it feels as if your brain was liquid inside your skull as if you can feel your neurons throbbing.

You wonder if you’re still sleeping because you can’t move your arms. You open your eyes but even the mere act of blinking hurts. There’s a kind of crystal above you, covering your whole body. The surface under you is soft but it rasps against your dry skin.

“(Y/N)…”

You hear someone calling you and with a tremendous effort, you turn your head to the right a few inches. You recognize Hux in his pristine uniform and next to him, there’s a toddler, ginger as him, with a flower in his hand.

“Elecc,” you try to say but your throat is raspy. Your vocal chords don’t obey you and you stay silent.

With shaking steps, Elecc walks at your direction. He looks unsure and turns his head to his dad. Hux nods, encouraging him to keep walking.

You feel your cheeks dampen; you don’t know when you started crying. You wish you can extend your arms to your son and hug him. Because you’re sure he’s your son, even though you remember him as a tiny newborn baby.

“Ms. (Y/N),” a doctor, judging by his clothes, stands between you and his son. “Can you hear me? You’re in a bacta tank. You’ve been in a coma.”

* * *

_A few days later_

“Say it again,” you tell to your son but he shakes his head. “Come on, Elecc, please,” you insist.

“Dada”, he says.

“Yes!” you exclaim. You wish you could clap or at least carry your son, but your arms and legs are still too weak.

After the doctor checked on you, he let Hux explain to you what happened. You cried until your eyes felt raw but now you’re with him and your son. You couldn’t be happier.

“You have to say mommy next,” Hux says and you chuckle. Hopefully, that will be Elecc’s next word.

“I still can’t believe you took care of him all these months.” But Hux has a ton of photos in his holopad that proves that he was a great single dad. “A General and a baby…” You laugh at the mental image of him carrying Elecc around the ship and barking orders to people.

“(Y/N),” Hux sits with you and Elecc on the bed and grabs your hand. “I know I behaved terribly awful with you…”

“I think you already made it up,” you interrupt him.

“No, listen,” he speaks again. “As much as I look I’m in control, you know the truth about me. You’re the only person in the galaxy who knows my story and knows me too well.”

“We’re best friends, aren’t we?” You give him a warm smile and squeeze his hand with the little strength you have.

“Best friends…” he chuckles. After so many years apart, your hearts have remained together. “Do you think we can be a family?”

“I thought we already are!”

“You know what I mean,” he rolls his eyes at your joke. Typical of you wanting to mess up with him. “Once you’re out of here, perhaps we can try to, you know, be together.”

You think about his words for a few seconds, your mind still feels a little clouded. But one look at Elecc, how happy he is, and how Hux has proved to be a good dad, help you with your choice:

“I think we can try it, best friend.”

Hux smiles and leans to you to kiss your forehead. Then, still close to your face, he whispers:

“Best friend.”


End file.
